My country, always wrong
There is a strong cultural divide between the east and the west of Europe: You can reasonably assume that countries not polled in the east would mostly be in the …
Read MoreTag: military
Fictional Ruthenia & Galicia – and real Ukraine
Twelve years ago I wrote my second novel. The action took place in an Eastern European magic kingdom, superimposed in another dimension over what is, in this world, western Ukraine, …
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The friend of my enemy is not my enemy
I remember fondly the times when the small states of Eastern and Central Europe enjoyed a near universal support among the American right in their aspirations for independence and freedom, …
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Ukraine 3 (updated)
Coverage continues. Top illustration: the Polish convoy with military supplies for Ukraine. 2:53PM: Amid many speculations, multiple sources say the decision has been made — and as soon as on …
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Ukraine 2 (updated)
More rolling coverage and snippets from social media (graphic by Imogene Salva) 2:15PM: Poland is supplying Ukraine with military supplies free of charge, including a Polish equivalent of “Stinger” missiles. …
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Ukraine (updated)
Disjointed thoughts at a tragic time, progressively updated: Putin is invading Ukraine – not just sending “peacekeepers” into the breakaway pro-Russia regions in the east of the country – in …
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20 + 1 Best Books I’ve Read in 2021
This is the last time I’m ever doing New Year’s resolutions. My resolution for 2021 was to read less – not because I hate reading but to have more diverse …
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Space Farce and Woke Forces
The American military is increasingly facing future armed with the attitude “If we’re going to lose a major war, at least we’ll do it with the most diverse armed forces ever. …
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They were for it before they were against it
Another anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe came and went with the now usual disgruntlement bubbling between Russia and all the other participants. This year …
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25 Best Books I’ve Read in 2020
As always with these annual roundups, please note that these are the best books I’ve read last year, not the best book published last year, as I never buy new …
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On discovering a scandal in family history
One of my great regrets in life is not having interrogated my loved ones about their past and their family histories while they were still alive. Now the generation of …
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Why have a shoey when you can have a false leggy?
A faux scandal erupts in the middle of a real scandal (alleged, and subject to future court cases). One of the less savoury of all Australian drinking traditions is the …
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When Poland saved Europe
A hundred years ago this week, a series of biggest battles that Europe were to witness between the end of the First World War in 1918 and the beginning of …
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Who Won World War Two?
The commemorations and celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War were mooted this year. No obligatory parades or gathering took place at the time of …
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Melancholy News from Afghanistan
Not the end, but perhaps the beginning of the end: the United States and the Taliban sign a preliminary agreement in Doha, Qatar, on a conditional withdrawal of the last …
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Pardoning Turkey for Thanksgiving
Donald Trump is withdrawing the American troops from northern Syria, where they had previously fought against ISIS and subsequently acted as a trip wire against a major Turkish attack on …
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The Fourth Partition
It’s 2019, so over the next few years we will commemorate a number of 80th anniversaries connected with the Second World War. British people will be reminded of their darkest …
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Pity they can’t both lose, part II
In case you’re not a Middle Eastern politics nerd, I borrowed the title of this post from Henry Kissinger’s famous (at least in the Middle Eastern politics nerd circles) comment …
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The two “what if”s of September 1939
Eighty years ago, Germany invaded Poland from the west, the north and the south, starting World War Two. Seventeen days later. the Soviet Union invaded from the east, completing the …
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